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Don't cry for me, Escondido

By Maggie Grainger

January 23, 2006

Escondito--Eva “Evita” Peron’s life was the stuff of fairy tales.

Born the bastard daughter of Juan Duarte and his mistress in 1919, Evita would eventually become the most powerful woman Argentina had ever seen, climbing her way up the social ladder until she eventually became the country’s first lady.

While critics scoffed at Evita and claimed she slept her way to the top, the working classes embraced their Dior-clad Cinderella, rallying for her and her husband Juan Peron.

Evita’s whirlwind existence was cut short when she died of cancer in 1952 at the young age of 33.

When your life is plagued with men, politics, glamorous outfits and terminal illness it is only a matter of time before someone decides to fashion a soap opera after you—or in the case of Evita, a rock opera extravaganza.

Evita as an icon

Evita debuted on Broadway in 1979 to rave reviews, further cementing Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s place in musical theatre history. The show was turned into a critically acclaimed movie in 1996 with driving force Madonna taking on the lead role. Since it’s opening over 25 years ago, the musical has been performed on regional stages across the country and around the world. Now, the Welk Resort Theatre in Escondido is taking their turn at bringing this classic to life for San Diego audiences.

Laura Dickinson had the daunting task of playing the notorious first lady and came out with mixed results.

The role of Evita is a challenging one. Since the entire show is sung, Evita must not only be the strongest vocal presence but must carry the show from start to finish. While Dickinson nailed the softer, slow songs (including a beautiful rendition of “Don’t Cry for me Argentina”) she struggled while hitting the high notes that define many of the show’s numbers. She did, however, convey the regal presence of Evita and convinced the audience that this woman had a way of seducing a country with her carefully chosen words and actions.

It is no question that Evita’s life was a troubled one and Dickinson plays the role with just the right mix of compassion, charisma and guile despite her vocal weaknesses.

Evita would never had gotten to her position of power if it weren’t for Peron, a military leader who eventually became the president of Argentina. Evita not only helped get him to the top, she made sure he stayed there.

Doug Biltch’s turn as Peron needed some work as well. A weak vocal presence, the scenes between Evita and Peron were especially difficult as the pair’s chemistry fell flat. One was often left to wonder why the two stuck together once their dreams of domination had been fulfilled.

The best performance, by far, was Danny Bolero as Che, Evita’s conscience and the narrator of the show. He is a radical who gives a voice to the voiceless. Belting out one hit song after another, Bolero hit his mark every time and kept the story moving along.

Other standout performances were Carlos Mendoza as Magaldi, the tango singer who takes Evita to Buenos Aires, and local songwriter Jenn Grinels as Perón's dismissed mistress, whose single solo "Another Suitcase Another Hall" brought down the house.

-'Evita' is playing now through April 2. For show times and ticket information go to www.welktheatre.com or call the box office at 888-802-7469. 

Welk Resort Theater

8860 Lawrence Welk Dr.

Escondido, CA 92026

800.932.9355